The bill prohibits new open-air growing of genetically modified organisms, also known as GMOs.

Kenoi’s letter said he signed the bill “after careful deliberation and discussions with members of my administration and the public ….”

“Our community has a deep connection and respect for our land, and we all understand we must protect our island and preserve our precious natural resources,” Kenoi said. “We are determined to do what is right for the land because this place is unlike any other in the world.”

Under the new law, which takes effect immediately, those already growing GMO crops will be permitted to continue that practice, but must register with the county Department of Research and Development the area where that is occurring and pay a $100 annual fee for each location.

Hawai`i County Council members listened to countless hours of testimony on the subject of GMOs over a period of seven months. File photo.

Farmers of GMO papayas may expand or relocate their crops to new areas as long as the registration condition is met.

However, those growing other transgenic crops, including Big Island Dairy which grows GMO corn on the Hamakua coast for cattle feed, must restrict those crops to where they have “customarily” been grown.

Those who break the law are subject to fines of up to $1,000 per day for each location in violation and also would be responsible for “all costs of investigation, as well as for court and legal costs.” They would also be responsible for “resulting damages to other non-genetically engineered crops, plants, neighboring properties, or water sources.”

The council has been wrestling with the matter for the past seven months, during which time it heard from hundreds of people both in favor and opposed to the bill over at least nine days of contentious testimony.

Kenoi’s letter acknowledged the strong differences of opinion.

“The debate over this bill has at times been divisive and hurtful, and some of our hard-working farmers who produce food for our community have been treated disrespectfully,” it said.

“It is time to end the angry rhetoric and reach out to our neighbors,” Kenoi said. “Our farmers are essential to creating a wholesome and sustainable food supply on this island, and they deserve to be treated with respect and aloha.”

Demonstrations were staged by those on both sides of the debate, including those, pictured above, who maintained that a GMO ban would unnecessarily handcuff farmers. File photo.

Kenoi’s letter said that Big Island residents “must turn now to a meaningful, factual dialogue with one another.”

“With my approval of this bill, our administration will launch a year of research and data collection to investigate factual claims and to seek out new directions that farming in our community should take,” Kenoi said.

He said that will include analysis of the locations of both organic and conventional farms, the types of crops grown and estimates of their revenues, and of “the challenges our farmers face in meeting food safety and organic certification requirements.”

“We will work with our farmers and our ranchers to carefully monitor the impacts of this bill over the next year to separate speculation and guesswork from the facts,” the letter said.

Bill 113, which was introduced by Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille, was actually the third GMO-restricting measure taken up by the council.

Wille and Ka`u Councilwoman Brenda Ford both introduced new bills in September.

Ford’s measure, which would have banned all GMO crops including transgenic papaya, failed to get out committee.

Testimony in support of Bill 113 took several forms, including opposition to GMO foods in general as well as condemnation of large bio-technology firms such as Monsanto which promote their usage.

Those in opposition included scientists and virtually all agricultural groups on the Big Island as well as many individual farmers who said that the measure was “anti-science” and would unnecessarily reduce their agricultural options.

In an apparent concession to them, Wille amended the bill to include an “emergency exemption” which would allow farmers a “genetically engineered remedy” to combat plant pestilence. The exemption would require approval from the council and would only be allowed if there is no other alternative solution.

Papayas genetically modified to resist the ringspot virus have been credited with saving the Big Island papaya industry after it was ravaged by the pathogen in the 1990s.

Wille also changed the bill to withhold from the public the names of the farmers and the exact location where the GMO papayas are grown. That was apparently in response to concerns expressed by papaya growers that making such information public would put their farms at risk of being targeted by anti-GMO activists.

There have been several instances of vandalism against papaya growers over the past few years in which orchards have been chopped down. Most if not all of those fields involved GMO papayas.

The law is the second passed in Hawaii involving GMO crops.

In October, the Kauai County Council approved a bill requiring agriculture companies to disclose their use of GMOs and pesticides.

Unlike the Big Island, Kauai is home to several large enterprises where GMO seed crops are grown.

(Kenoi alluded to that difference in his letter, saying, “With this new ordinance we are conveying that instead of global agribusiness corporations, we want to encourage and support community-based farming and ranching.”)

Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho, saying he had concerns about its legal ramifications – including whether counties have the authority to step into regulations that are usually the domain of the state – vetoed that island’s GMO measure, but the veto was overridden last month by a 5-2 council vote.

They are unleashing a nightmare of untold ramifications. Do they CARE?

Stop messing with nature. She will ALWAYS win, and it may spell the end of us if we keep tweaking what shouldn’t be tweaked. Science/biotech isn’t always the answer.

GregH

If you eat corn, strawberries, or broccoli, all of which were created by humans, then you already agree that messing with nature is a good thing. You think it was nature that made seedless bananas? And yes, before anyone says it, I know that genetic engineering is different from breeding, that’s why we have different words for them, but different does not imply bad, and now we’ve established that messing with nature isn’t so bad after all.

If people want labeling, they can buy the food that is already labeled as organic/non-GMO, or simply do a five second Google search to find out what is and isn’t genetically engineered and buy accordingly (in fact, I’ll save you the time: corn, soy, canola, cotton, alfalfa, sugar beet, summer squash, and, my favorite, papaya). If people are not paying the premium on labeled food, what does that tell you about what they want? And if you can already know what is genetically engineered and what isn’t without labeling, what does that tell you about the groups pushing for labeling? Furthermore, I for one can’t wait to get my genetically engineered salmon. I’d much rather eat farmed salmon than one from the already overfished wild stocks, and if we’re going to farm fish, might as well do it efficiently (note that there’s no evidence suggesting that it is harmful).

Mother Nature used to win a lot. Those wins were called famines. Out of sight, out of mind; how quickly we forget our history. As for your nightmare of untold ramifications, the opposition to genetic engineering has been saying the sky is falling for years. Vague and unsubstantiated doomsaying brings nothing to the table, literally or figuratively.

Why mess with Nature?!

Many people have NO clue that over 90% of those products you mentioned are GMO. What’s wrong with telling them? When I buy a box of cereal that’s ‘all natural’, is it?

I’m glad you are 100% behind GMO’s, considering how new they are, the limited studies conducted and all the secrecy behind the biotech companies. How trusting, you are. Hey, what can go wrong?

So you’re going to put all your eggs into the GMO basket? That’s not very smart.

They say the gmo salmon are voracious eaters. What happens when they escape into the wild and potentially wipe out ‘regular’ salmon. That’s a good thing? What if the gmo salmon turn out to be cancer causing or worse? How can you be sure they’re safe?

It’ll be a little late to reverse course then.

Man has to learn to live with Nature, not the other way around. She was here long before man and will be long after he destroys himself.

And yes, I referred to nature as ‘she’ (that’s for first officer below).

First Officer

Monsanoto sued no Organic farmer, only farmers that have intentionally produced their lines of GM seeds without licensing. An organic farmer, by organic rules would not do that.

Wipe out the wild strains? Cause cancer? First, needing more food to survive is not a survival trait. If they were to escape, they wouldn’t wipe out wild salmon anymore than our cattle have wiped out buffalo. GM salmon meat has been studied for proteins produced, etc. They won’t cause anymore cancer than wild salmon.

First Officer

“Evil” and “abomination” are religious arguments. So is the personifcation of nature by you use of gendered pronouns to describe it.

Why mess with Nature?!

And that’s a bad thing?

First Officer

It is when discussing practical, scientific matters. With all due respect to Dr. Zaius, true science often contradicts faith.

Cindy Trautmeyer

Faith in science is not much better. Especially when scientific logic ignores human fears and trusts corporate money and bribed politicians.

First Officer

“They would also be responsible for “resulting damages to other non-genetically engineered crops, ” This alone will be struck down by the federal courts as it punishes one product over another not because of any negative effect but simply because it was created differently. It’s like restricting left handed weaved baskets.

The argument that the GMO farmer is harming the Organic Farmer is false. It is the Organic farmer who chose to grow crops to a set of rules that he agreed to, an agreement that the GMO farmer had no part in. The Organic Farmer chose to do this for either monetary or personal gain or both. Therefore it is the Organic Farmer’s responsibility to meet those rules he agreed to, to reap such gains. It would be the same for the GMO farmer if he entered into an agreement that called for 100.00000% pure GM crops

The argument that some anti-gmo politicians put forth that they want to create an gm free zone for economic gain, only underscores the point, as it will only be a gain for those farmers that choose to non-gm.

Well, yes it is. Same as when your non-gmo crops cross pollinate with mine. Or, if i were growing broccoli and you brussel sprouts, we’d have the same mutual problem. We can agree to stagger our mutual plantings, share in buffer areas etc. But these bills/laws, puts all the onus on the GMO farmer while allowing the Organic to reap all the benefits.

Not Natural? We’ve heard that argument before. “If Man were meant to fly, God would have given him wings !” And, i got news for you, the tech to GE is getting easier. Pretty soon, you, one will be able to do it on a kitchen table, as far as the technique will require. As far as lableing it is concerned, one, there’s no pratical reason to do so and two, anti-gmo people are just chompin’ at the bit to use any labeling as Scarlet Lettering.

Cindy Trautmeyer

What’s the “practical” reason for the consumer to distinguish btw farmed and wild fish? Between previously frozen or fresh meat? Of a food containing food coloring? If a food comes from Mexico or Honduras?

It’s consumer driven economy. Corporations or their scientists have zero say in what consumers want.

First Officer

Imported products may not be governed by the Commerce Clause when first imported, but that, too doesn’t serve a practical purpose, health or environmentally wise. Instead of labeling GMO’s, we should, perhaps, stop labeling for country of origin. Many foods cannot be refrozen and many foods are affected by freezing. Food coloring can make a food seem ripe or better than it really is. Wild vs. farm, is that a legal requirement or voluntary?
Producers may not dictate what customers want but they do have a say as to what is produced. After all, you need their agreement to produce it.

When producers SUPPRESS desired information, consumers react. Either by voting laws into place or simply not buying.

RobertWager

Sad another local council has been pressured by FEAR over facts to make BAD public policy. Now the lawsuits begin. Money down the drain.

Cindy Trautmeyer

You prevented labeling GMO. So we prevented growing GMO on our island.

Lorie Farrell

You prevented nothing but restricting the Future of Farming and science on Hawaii Island. Not only is the Bill poorly written it’s full of exemptions. Devil is always in the details

Cindy Trautmeyer

The future of farming in Hawaii are specialty products with regional geographic protection of their valuable names. There’s a high demand for them and they are enabling farmers to live on their land, raise families, make a living, stabilize real estate, support tourism, and keep the earned money where it counts: In Hawai’i.

If it’s deep sea water, koa wood, coffee, or other yet untapped possibilities and products the future is bright when managed well and not being exploited for short term profits and off-island interests. It’s not GMO papayas or GMO corn fed beef falsely declared as ‘grass fed’ Hawaiian beef.

First Officer

Interesting. By your economic model, all farmers who don’t already grow kona coffee and organic taro must be nuts to be missing out on all that extra profit. Or are they? To put it another way, there are reasons why General Motors doesn’t only make Cadillacs and Corvettes, even though they bring in more profit per car than Aveos. Typically, the higher the price, the smaller the market, with just a few suppliers able to supply the entire highend demand. You may think you can set Hawaii up to be only a specialty food producer but then you won’t find enough customers to support it. And, if you did, then, rather quickly, competition will move in and the market will shake out the oversupply.

After all, just how many can afford to buy $100 a pound organic kona coffee? And, out of those that can afford it, how many are willing to actually buy it? Think Warren Buffett. See, “The Millionaire Next Door”.

Cindy Trautmeyer

Look at name protected regions in Europe or all around the world. In Burgundy or Kobe not everyone grows wine or beef, but the WHOLE agricultural infrastructure flourishes. Real estate prices are stable, jobs stay in the community, infrastructure is intact, schools, hospitals are working, crime is low, tourism is steady.

HAwaii could have many, many protected specialty products, all marketable and sustaining the farmers and communities. Of course you would have to eliminate all the planted figure heads in the Farm Bureau and the government.

Lorie Farrell

Cindy your funny; why stop hiding behind your false name; while you throw out insults. Those figure heads have done more for agriculture than you ever have done.

Cindy Trautmeyer

Fake, me!? You are a paid PR person, as telling what are you being instructed. Tomorrow you’ll work for a politician of whatever party, then for a non-profit, then for a government organization, then on a ‘green’ image project for a gas company.

Lorie Farrell

I didn’t call you fake, I said false name. Clearly you do not know me or of what you speak. I’ve never worked for a politician or gas company in my life and my political party has never wavered. Guilty as charged for non profits, farmers and agriculture in Hawaii…Yes I’m 100% an AGvocate for agriculture and farmers in Hawaii.

People who live in glass house should not cast stones.

Lorie Farrell

Sorry Cindy but Niche specialty crops wont support or feed Hawaii. There is NO false labled Beef…It is Grass Finished, Born, Raised and grown on Hawaii Island!

Cindy Trautmeyer

Cows can be confined to a pen and fed hay for many months of the year. Also cattle can be given hormones and a steady diet of antibiotics and still be called grass-fed. Hawaii Lowline in Honokaa is the ONLY true grass fed beef company in our state applying the stricter standards of the AGA.

I

Lorie Farrell

Anything can be confined to a pen. Many Hawaii beef producers particpate in organic programs so I beg to differ. All Hawaii cattle is grass fed. At $600-$700 a ton for imported feed most cows only expereince that type of feeding when weened in Hawaii. The livestock industry is not how you represent it.

Cindy Trautmeyer

So the Hawaii live stock folks don’t need the GMO corn growing in our county after all. Good to hear.

Guest

Restricting the future of farming? That’s funny.

If I recall, everything was fine here before gmo’s.

At least our children weren’t getting rashes and falling ill.

Why try to hide gmo’s in products and not tell the consumer?

Lorie Farrell

The sky isn’t falling and no one is or was getting sick on Hawaii Island… No one is hiding anything.

Gee, I guess you shouldn’t have moved to the Big Isl. It’s not too late for you to leave.

Why mess with Nature?!

Organic is about no pesticides or genetic modification.

I don’t see any need to study that, it’s just plain smart and healthy.

Enjoy your gmo’s. I’ll say ‘thanks, but no thanks’.

First Officer

No Pesticides in Organic Farming?

Got Rotenone ?

Google: “Mythbusting 101: Organic Farming > Conventional Agriculture”

Cindy Trautmeyer

Belittling the faith of consumers is as idiotic as patronizing their instinctive fears in lobbying, political propaganda, marketing, and strategic planning.

Guest

I’m looking forward to the lawsuits for this stupid anti-science bill

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High School Musical On

@ Baldwin High School

Come pick up your rusty metal folding chair any Sunday now through March 31st at the church & let your creative side run wild. The object is to decorate the chair any way you want & the only rule is that it must fold open & close. All chairs must be turned in on April 6 where they will be on display until April 20. You can name your price & sell your chair but a percentage of your proceeds are asked to be donated to the church. Have fun!